Fort King

Fort King (also known as Camp King or Cantonment King) was a United States military fort in north central Florida, near what later developed as the city of Ocala. It was named after U.S. Colonel William King, commander of 4th Infantry Regiment and the first governor of the provisional West Florida region. The fort was built by the U.S. Military in 1827 during tensions with the Seminole in Florida, a tribe of mostly Creek people who formed in the early nineteenth century. The fort was established originally to serve as a buffer between new settlers and the Seminole. It became an important base in the 1830s for the United States Army during the removal of the Seminole and the Seminole Wars. It later served as a courthouse in 1844 after the organization of Marion County, but was abandoned altogether, eventually. The residents took it apart in order to salvage building materials. The site of the fort is preserved as a National Historic Landmark near the corner of East Fort King Street and 39th Avenue in Ocala. The fort was reconstructed in order to be as historically accurate as possible in late 2017. Archeological investigation has revealed the site was occupied during two lengthy periods by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, beginning as early as 6500 BC, more than 8,000 years ago.